The last two years have seen the most enormous changes in my personal life. In that time I have left my then husband, got divorced, sold a house, rented a flat, bought a house, got married, and had a baby!
At the start of these two year I would never have imagined quite what was going to happen, but as I took that first, very scary, step, I knew that I had to make a change. For my benefit, and also for my kids.
I also knew, that as well as all the emotional upheaval in my life there was going to be so many practical changes too. Finding somewhere new to live was probably the most ... read more

Ah, money, money, money.
As Abba used to sing, all the things I could do if I had a little money. It’s a rich man’s world.
The truth is that you can make your capital go further without embarking on the impossible quest for a rich man – who, if you are to go by Abba’s standards, is hard to find. However, it’s a common mistake to assume that you need more to do more. In reality, while you might want to improve your overall wealth, it’s not mandatory to utilise your savings productively.
For many, the idea of making your money go further implies thrifty and budget-savvy approaches in ... read more

Bingo is a fantastic game that has become a world-wide phenomenon since the launch of the internet back in 1991. Thanks to this invention there are now hundreds of sites, like Paddy Power that offer you the chance to play at home and win cash prizes.
Thousands login to play the game every day, but how does it actually work? We take a look at the basic maths behind bingo and the probability of your randomly generated numbers coming up.
Probability of Winning
Like many games it is hard to determine how well you will do as a lot of it is down to luck. However, there are few things you ... read more

There are more options out there today for those who have a little money to set aside than ever before, whether it is playing the stock market, investing in property or even starting a business. But while ideas like these are great for long term returns, what if your saving and investment aims are a little more modest? Perhaps you’d like to set aside a hundred pounds or so every month for a holiday or Christmas fund?
Start with a cash ISA
As ISA is the investment product that even those with no interest in finance have heard of, and it should be your first port of call, particularly ... read more

Life is full of financial milestones that are worth celebrating. From buying your first home to paying off all of your credit card debt and waving goodbye to your student loan, these milestones are a part of marking our journey into and throughout adulthood.
Image by: Pexels
When you have managed to pay off most of your debt and have been a proud homeowner for a couple of years already, you might be wondering what’s next? Saving up for our retirement is surely great and all that, but it feels a bit sad if this is the only financial goal we have until we’ve reached our golden ... read more

While the chances of getting audited are incredibly slim, it’s not uncommon to receive letters from the IRS. Your initial response might be to freak out, but it’s vital that you keep a level head. If you used a tax professional or you’re confident that you paid your taxes correctly, chances are the issue(s) at hand are trivial. Here some of the letters you might receive and how to handle them.
Correspondence Audits
When the IRS notices any red flags (like donating half of your income to charity), your chances of being audited increase drastically. However, if the alarm on behalf of the ... read more

Free Stuff. Those two words bring joy to the heart of thrifty bargain hunters the world over. And rightly so. After all - who doesn't love getting something for nothing.
Some people may be sceptical about the idea of getting things for free. Aren't we all taught that you don't get anything for nothing in this life? Well, that's sort of true, but if you just look at the definition of free as being that you haven't handed cold hard cash over for something, then actually there is still a fair bit in this world that you can get for nothing.
I first came across Latest Free Stuff a couple of ... read more

I've said it before and I'll say it again - Legal and General's #MoneyHangouts are really teaching me quite a bit. I thought I was quite up to speed on all things property related after remortgaging last year, but actually sitting down and watching their latest hangout on Property has made me realise just how much more there is to know, and also how many problems there are with property in this country at the moment.
There is a shortage of houses, especially for families, in certain parts of the country and this means that people are finding it harder and harder to find a home. Knowing how ... read more

Property. A house. A flat. A roof over your head. Your place. Home.
Whatever you call it, everyone needs somewhere to live and for most of us it is our biggest expense. But finding somewhere to live isn't always straightforward, and depending on what your particular situation is I'm sure there are lots of things you want and need to know going forwards. That's where Legal and General are hoping to help with the next in their excellent MoneyHangout series - Property - Your Options Explained.
Just following questions that I've seen asked online recently I know that there are people ... read more

It's a couple of weeks now since I took part in Legal and General's #MoneyHangout about pensions and retirement finances and to be honest I'm still trying to digest all the valuable information I learnt and act on it. There I was trying to pay attention during the hangout and be ready to ask my question on cue, and instead I found myself furiously scribbling notes as it was so useful!
Just to share with you some of the particularly useful points that I took away with me.
Firstly, to try to track down pensions that I have from old employers and ensure that all my details were up to ... read more